BERLIN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The German government plans to order strike drones worth 536 million euros ($638 million) from German startups Helsing and Stark Defence, part of a rearmament push after
Germany Plans €536 Million Order for Strike Drones from Startups
Germany's Defense Drone Acquisition
BERLIN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The German government plans to order strike drones worth 536 million euros ($638 million) from German startups Helsing and Stark Defence, part of a rearmament push after Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The contracts for loitering munitions - drones that hover over a potential strike area before flying into targets - are part of a larger framework deal worth 4.3 billion euros.
The contracts, outlined in documents seen by Reuters, are widely expected to be rubber-stamped by the lower house of parliament's budget committee. They were first reported by Spiegel magazine.
Details of the Contracts
The drones are initially intended to support Germany's 45th Tank Brigade, which is deployed in Lithuania.
Intended Military Use
According to the documents, the contracts with the two companies are to have a term of seven years. The initial batch is scheduled to be delivered by early 2027.
($1 = 0.8399 euros)
(Reporting by Markus Wacket, writing by Ludwig Burger, editing by Thomas Seythal)
